Apparatus and method for a networked power management system for security and life safety applications

ABSTRACT

An apparatus includes a data manager and interface logic with a plurality of interface ports including at least one network interface port. The data manager and interface logic is operative to obtain digital and analog data, via the plurality of interface ports, from a plurality of digital and analog device types, where the data includes device operating parameters and alert condition notifications related to device faults or potential device failure. The data manager and interface logic is also operative to write and email a report conforming to a plurality of configurable report settings in response to occurrence of a device alert condition or a specified reporting interval, obtain updates to the device operating parameters from a remote device over the at least one network interface port, and provide the updates to corresponding devices over the plurality of interface ports.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates generally to power supply systems forsecurity and life safety equipment (access control, securitysurveillance camera, fire and burglary alarm systems, mass notificationequipment, etc.) and more particularly to apparatuses and methodsproviding remotely accessible power supply systems.

BACKGROUND

Power supplies with battery backup and basic fault reporting means forsecurity and life safety systems have been in existence for decades.These power supply systems provide some mechanism for basic faultdetection and reporting as required by industry specifications. Mostcommonly, visual indicators and relay contacts are the primary means forfault notification. In these traditional power supply systems, powersystem control or parameter change necessitates direct physical changeof the device by an on-site technician and cannot be done otherwise.Examples of existing power supply systems with this kind of faultnotification are illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2.

FIG. 1 provides a simplified block diagram of an existing power supplysystem 100. In FIG. 1, a complete power supply/charger board 101includes an isolated AC-DC power converter 102 which is a power supplythat converts AC power into isolated 12V or 24V DC power outputs. The DCoutput from the isolated AC-DC converter 102 is sent to one or moreoutput terminals under the control of control and fault detectioncircuitry 103. For example, DC is provided to three pairs of outputterminals DC1, DC2 and DC3 as shown. DC1 is a normal constant-on outputwhile the DC2 and DC3 outputs are controlled by a Fire Alarm Interface(FAI) signal (not shown). The DC2 output is on when the FAI signal isinactive and DC3 is on when the FAI signal is active. The control andfault detection circuitry 103 also detects faults in the systemincluding loss of AC power (AC Fault), and system faults. The systemfaults include “output voltage out of range” and “battery not present.”The control and fault detection circuitry 103 also handles the batterypower transfer in event of an AC power outage. Charger 104 charges thebattery 107 and maintains it at near full capacity when AC power isnormal. The system fault relay 105 and AC fault relay 106 are normallyenergized, that is, energized when there is no fault condition present.When AC power is lost, the AC fault relay 106 is de-energized, causing achange in the contact state and either closing or opening its variousprovided output contacts. The output contacts can be used to signal someupper level control device to react to the fault condition. Similarly,when any one of the system faults occurs, the system fault relay 105will change its contact states and thereby notify an upper controldevice of the fault condition. The LED indicators 108 are a group of LEDindicators that are utilized to indicate the presence of AC input, DCoutput, specific fault conditions and FAI signal status. For example,one green LED may indicate AC power present, a second green LED mayindicate DC1 output normal, a third green LED may indicate that eitherDC2 or DC3 has power, a red LED may indicate FAI activation, a yellowLED may indicate an AC Fault, a second yellow LED may indicate a systemfault and a third yellow LED may indicate a reverse battery condition.

FIG. 2 provides a simplified block diagram of another existing powersupply system 200. The functionality of the power supply system 200 issimilar to the power supply system 100, except that the power supplysystem 200 does not have an FAI interface and does not provide the twoFAI controlled DC outputs (DC2 and DC3). In FIG. 2, the FAI signal isinput to a Notification Appliance Circuit (NAC) power control board 209.The power to the NAC power control board 209 is provided by the DC inputDC1 from the main power supply board 201 as shown.

A drawback of the traditional existing power systems described above andexemplified in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, is that service personnel must be onsite to troubleshoot every fault condition, and to perform periodicmaintenance. For example, nowadays a security company may managethousands of security cameras spread out in many different buildings.Sometimes those cameras can get stuck and require the power to be cycled(i.e. reset the camera). The security company has to send technicians tothe field to reset every camera that gets stuck.

Another problem with traditional existing power systems involves batterymaintenance. To ensure the battery is functioning properly, a servicetechnician must go to every job site to test the battery operation at acertain period of time.

Another drawback of these traditional existing power systems is thatthey do not provide system operating parameters and therefore it isdifficult to detect potential failures before the failure happens.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram providing an example of an existing powermanagement system.

FIG. 2 is block diagram providing another example of an existing powermanagement system.

FIG. 3 is diagram of a power management system in accordance with theembodiments.

FIG. 4 is diagram of a power management system in accordance with oneembodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram providing details of the data manager and interfacelogic shown in FIG. 4, in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart describing high level operation of the datamanager and interface logic shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 in accordancewith the embodiments.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart providing further details of operation of the datamanager and interface logic in accordance with the embodiments.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart describing high level operation of the control andaccess logic in accordance with the embodiments.

FIG. 9 is a diagram of a navigable initial page or Web page provided bya graphical user interface (GUI) feature in accordance with anembodiment.

FIG. 10 is a diagram of a navigable configuration page of the GUI inaccordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a diagram of an email setting page of the GUI in accordancewith an embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a diagram of a report setting page of the GUI in accordancewith an embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a diagram of a power supply/charger (FP1) report setting pageof the GUI in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a diagram of an MCU parameter report setting page of the GUIin accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 15 is a diagram of a NAC device report setting page of the GUI inaccordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 16 is a diagram of an MCU setting page of the GUI in accordancewith an embodiment.

FIG. 17 is a diagram of a PWM setting page and a logic output settingpage of the GUI in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 18 is a diagram of a battery setting page of the GUI in accordancewith an embodiment.

FIG. 19 is a diagram of a power supply/charger (FP1) real timeparameters page of the GUI in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 20 is a diagram of a power supply/charger (FP1) programming page ofthe GUI in accordance with an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure provides an apparatus that includes a datamanager and interface logic with a plurality of interface portsincluding at least one network interface port. The data manager andinterface logic is operative to obtain digital and analog data, via theplurality of interface ports, from a plurality of digital and analogdevice types, where the data includes device operating parameters andalert condition notifications related to device faults or potentialdevice failure. The data manager and interface logic is also operativeto write and email a report conforming to a plurality of configurablereport settings in response to occurrence of a device alert condition ora specified reporting interval, obtain updates to the device operatingparameters from a remote device over the at least one network interfaceport, and provide the updates to corresponding devices over theplurality of interface ports.

The apparatus may further include at least one power supply operativelycoupled to control and access logic, with the control and access logicoperatively coupled to the data manager and interface logic. The controland access logic is operative to monitor the power supply for faultconditions, send control commands to local fault reporting devices inresponse to detection of a fault condition, and enable the data managerand interface logic access to fault report data corresponding to thefault condition.

The apparatus may further include a battery charger operatively coupledto the power supply and to the control and access logic. The control andaccess logic may further monitor the battery charger for faultconditions, obtain battery charger programming commands from the datamanager and interface logic, update battery charger data in response tothe programming commands, and control switching to battery power inresponse to a fault condition of the power supply, or a loss of AC powerto the power supply.

The data manager and interface logic may also provide a navigablegraphical user interface accessible by a remote device and operable toreceive inputs and provide the inputs to the data manager and interfacelogic over the network interface port.

The data manager and interface logic may also detect and identify eachdevice of the plurality of digital and analog device types, determine analert condition for each device, and write and email the reportindividually for each device in response to occurrence of a device alertcondition for a corresponding individual device.

The present disclosure also provides a method of operating a powermanagement system. The method includes obtaining digital and analogdata, via a plurality of interface ports, from a plurality of digitaland analog device types. The data includes device operating parametersand alert condition notifications related to device faults or potentialdevice failure. The method includes writing and emailing a reportconforming to a plurality of configurable report settings in response tooccurrence of a device alert condition or a specified reportinginterval, obtaining updates to the device operating parameters from aremote device over at least one network interface port; and providingthe updates to corresponding devices over the plurality of interfaceports.

The method may further include monitoring a power supply for faultconditions, sending control commands to local fault reporting devices inresponse to detection of a fault condition, and enabling access, by datamanager and interface logic, to fault report data corresponding to thefault condition.

The method may further include monitoring a battery charger for faultconditions, obtaining battery charger programming commands from the datamanager and interface logic, and updating battery charger data inresponse to the programming commands. The method also includescontrolling switching to battery power in response to a fault conditionof the power supply, or a loss of AC power to the power supply.

The method may further include providing a navigable graphical userinterface accessible by a remote device and operable to receive inputsand provide the inputs to the data manager and interface logic over thenetwork interface port.

The method may further include detecting and identifying each device ofthe plurality of digital and analog device types, determining an alertcondition for each device, and writing and emailing the reportindividually for each device in response to occurrence of a device alertcondition for a corresponding individual device.

The present disclosure also provides an apparatus including a powersupply and battery charger board. The power supply and battery chargerboard includes control and access logic operatively coupled to the powersupply and the battery charger. The control and access logic isoperative to monitor the power supply and the battery charger for faultconditions, send control commands to local fault reporting devices inresponse to detection of a fault condition, enable remote access tofault report data corresponding to the fault condition, obtain batterycharger programming commands from a remote device via an interface, andupdate battery charger data in response to the programming commands. Thecontrol and access logic is also operative to control switching tobattery power in response to a fault condition of the power supply, or aloss of AC power to the power supply.

The apparatus may further include data manager and interface logic,operatively coupled to the control and access logic. The data managerand interface logic includes a plurality of interface ports including atleast one network interface port. The data manager and interface logicis operative to obtain digital and analog data, via the plurality ofinterface ports, from a plurality of digital and analog device types.The data includes device operating parameters and alert conditionnotifications related to device faults or potential device failure. Thedata manager and interface logic writes and emails a report conformingto a plurality of configurable report settings in response to occurrenceof a device alert condition or a specified reporting interval, and canobtain updates to the device operating parameters from a remote deviceover the at least one network interface port. The data manager andinterface logic provides the updates to corresponding devices, includingthe power supply and battery charger board, over the plurality ofinterface ports.

The present disclosure also provides a computer readable memory storingexecutable instructions for execution by at least one processor, thatwhen executed cause the at least one processor to obtain digital andanalog data, via a plurality of interface ports, from a plurality ofdigital and analog device types, where the data includes deviceoperating parameters and alert condition notifications related to devicefaults or potential device failure. When executing the instructions theat least one processor will also write and email a report conforming toa plurality of configurable report settings in response to occurrence ofa device alert condition or a specified reporting interval, obtainupdates to the device operating parameters from a remote device over theat least one network interface port, and provide the updates tocorresponding devices over the plurality of interface ports.

The executable instructions may further cause the at least one processorto monitor a power supply for fault conditions, send control commands tolocal fault reporting devices in response to detection of a faultcondition, and enable access, by an operatively coupled externalprocessor, to fault report data corresponding to the fault condition.

The executable instructions may further cause the at least one processorto monitor a battery charger for fault conditions, obtain batterycharger programming commands from the external processor, and updatebattery charger data in response to the programming commands, andcontrol switching to battery power in response to a fault condition ofthe power supply, or a loss of AC power to the power supply.

The executable instructions may further cause the at least one processorto provide a navigable graphical user interface accessible by a remotedevice and operable to receive inputs and provide the inputs to the atleast one processor over the network interface port.

The executable instructions may further cause the at least one processorto detect and identify each device of the plurality of digital andanalog device types; determine an alert condition for each device; andwrite and email the report individually for each device in response tooccurrence of a device alert condition for a corresponding individualdevice.

The computer readable memory may be any suitable non-volatile memorysuch as, but not limited to programmable chips such as EEPROMS, flashROM (thumb drives), compact discs (CDs) digital video disks (DVDs),etc., that may be used to load executable instructions or program codeto devices such as, but not limited to, those described in furtherdetail herein below.

The present disclosure also provides an apparatus having at least oneprocessor, and memory operatively coupled to the processor, wherein thememory contains instructions for execution by the at least oneprocessor, such that the at least one processor upon executing theinstructions is operable to provide a power management systemconfiguration graphical user interface (GUI) for display on a remotedevice in communication with the at least one processor over a network.The GUI includes a navigable initial page having a plurality ofselections; a plurality of input pages, navigable to by selectingcorresponding selections of the plurality of selections of the navigableinitial page, the input pages including inputs for configuring alertconditions triggering email output notifications, sender email accountsettings, recipient email address settings, email report contentsettings, and device parameter settings for a plurality of powermanagement system devices including a power supply, a battery charger,

The input pages of the GUI may also include an email report contentsetting page corresponding to each power management system device of theplurality of power management system devices, where the email reportcontent setting page includes a list of selectable parameters that areselectable for inclusion in an email report. A battery charger settingpage of the GUI includes a list of settable values, settable by entriesinto the input page. The GUI may be accessed using a browser, such as aWeb browser, operating a remote device connected over a network such asan intranet or the Internet.

Therefore the present disclosure provides an apparatus for remotemonitoring and control of, among other things, power supply/chargerparameters. The remote monitoring and control may be facilitated over anetwork such as, but not limited to, an intranet or the Internet. Amongother advantages, the various embodiments enable sending data related tocritical parameters of a power supply/charger and/or other connecteddevices to a remote device. The parameters may include any criticalvoltage, current, battery information and status of other devicesconnected to a power management system.

The disclosed embodiments allow a system operator to monitor criticalsystem parameters in real time. A system operator may program emailalert trigger conditions so that alert email will be sent outautomatically when the trigger condition is met. The embodiments alsoenable an operator to set or change operating parameters of the powermanagement system remotely.

The disclosed embodiments include a digitally accessible powersupply/charger for which critical parameters can be measured without theneed of external sensors. Programmable operating parameters can also becontrolled via the remote interface.

Among the various advantages is the realization of significant costsavings in system maintenance by implementing a method to remotelyobtain information necessary to diagnose a potential problem and changethe operating parameters from a remote location. That is, theembodiments enable advance notification of a pending problem by a remotereport generating capability thus providing the benefit of implementingpreventative maintenance measures prior to direct failure of the system.

Turning now to the drawings wherein like numerals represent likecomponents, FIG. 3 illustrates a power management system 300 inaccordance with the embodiments. The power management system 300includes a main power supply/charger board 301 which provides DC voltageoutputs 333 and which is connected to a battery 335. The powermanagement system 300 of the embodiments includes a control, access andinterface (CAI) apparatus 303. The CAI apparatus 303 may be physicallylocated on the main power supply/charger board 301 in some embodiments,or, in other embodiments, may consist of portions where one portion islocated on the power supply/charger board 301 and another portion islocated off-board and operatively coupled via an interface 311. Forexample, as shown in FIG. 3, the CAI apparatus 303 may include controland access logic 305, which may be physically located on the main powersupply/charger board 301 and operatively coupled to an external datamanager and interface logic 309 via the interface 311.

The CAI apparatus 303 is operative to receive a Fire Alarm Interface(FAI) signal 329 over a coupling 331, and is also operatively coupled toother system devices 317 via an interface 343. For example, the controland access logic 305 may receive the FAI signal 329 and the data managerand interface logic 309 may be operatively coupled to the other systemdevices 317. The data manager and interface logic 309 may be operativelycoupled to a Notification Appliance Circuit (NAC) power control board315 over an interface 339. The data manager and interface logic 309 mayalso provide connectivity to a network 313 over an interface 337 toprovide remote access in accordance with the embodiments.

For example, in accordance with the embodiments, a remote device 319 mayconnect to the network 313 over connectivity 341 and access features,parameters, settings, etc. of the power management system 300 such as,but not limited to, parameters and/or settings of the main powersupply/charger board 301, parameters and/or settings of the other systemdevices 317 and parameters and/or settings related to the NAC powercontrol board 315. The remote device may be any suitable connectabledevice having a display or monitor 321 suitable for displaying agraphical user interface (GUI) 323. For example, the remote device 319may be a personal computer (PC), laptop, tablet PC, mobile phone, etc.,in accordance with the embodiments. The GUI 323 is accessible by theremote device 319 by using a browser, such as a Web browser, and isnavigable to various pages such as Web pages. The remote device 319 mayalso, in accordance with the embodiments, receive email reports relatedto the parameters and/or settings of the power management system 300.

The control and access logic 305 and the data manager and interfacelogic 309 may be implemented in various ways in accordance with theembodiments. That is, the “logic” disclosed herein, in accordance withthe embodiments, may be implemented using one or more programmableprocessors with software and/or firmware executing thereon, ASICs, DSPs,hardwired logic or combinations thereof. Additionally, the control andaccess logic 305 and the data manager and interface logic 309 mayinclude integrated and/or external memory used to store various softwareand/or firmware modules, in accordance with the embodiments, where suchmodules include executable instructions for execution by one or moreprogrammable processors. For example, control and access logic 305 mayinclude an integrated memory 307 as shown in FIG. 3.

The CAI apparatus 303 also provides an access interface 327 for accessby a remote device such as personal computer (PC) 325, which may be atablet, laptop, or any other suitable computing device includinghandheld computing devices. In some embodiments, the PC 325 may connectvia access interface 327 to the control and access logic 305. The PC 325may then access parameters and/or settings of the power managementsystem 300 in accordance with the embodiments. The PC 325 may alsoaccess the GUI 323 using a browser, such as a Web browser.

FIG. 4 provides details of a power management system 400 in accordancewith one embodiment. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, the CAIapparatus 403 includes a control and access logic 405 which may be amicrocontroller and which may include memory 407. The memory 407 may bean on-chip EEPROM in some embodiments. The control and access logic 405is operatively coupled to data manager and interface logic 409, whichalso provides a network interface capability, for example an Ethernetinterface capability, wireless network interface such as Wi-Fi, and/orsome other suitable network interface, in the exemplary embodiment ofFIG. 4. The interface 411 operatively coupling the control and accesslogic 405 to the data manager and interface logic 409 may be a serialinterface and may be a Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) in someembodiments. The control and access logic 405 is also operativelycoupled to battery charger 349 via an interface 413 which may include adigital-to-analog converter, a filtered PWM signal, analog-to-digitalconverters, GPIO pins or a serial interface. The control and accesslogic 405 is operative to receive setting parameter data from thecharger 349, and may send configuration or setting commands to thecharger 349 to control operation. The control and access logic 405 isalso operatively coupled to the isolated AC-DC converter 345 which isalso referred to herein as a “power supply” or as “power supply 345.”The control and access logic 405 receives, among other things, voltageinformation from the power supply 345 via an interface 415. Theinterface 415 provides multiple control and data lines to both receiveinformation and to send control signals. In other words, the control andaccess logic 405 may receive, among other information, voltageinformation from the power supply 345 via a voltage divider output,where the voltage divider is located in the relays and output sensingunit 347. The control and access logic 405 is also operative to providerelay control commands to relays and output sensing unit 347 in order toswitch the power management system 400 to battery 335 power in the eventof a power supply 345 fault condition or a loss of AC power.

The control and access logic 405 is also operatively coupled to on-boardLEDs 351 and to AC fault relay 353 and System fault relay 355, over aninterface 357. The control and access logic 405 is operative to turnspecific LEDs of the LEDs 351 on or off in response to appropriateconditions. The control and access logic 405 likewise is operative tosend relay control signals to AC fault relay 353 and System fault relay355 over the interface 357.

The power management system 400 includes the main power supply/chargerboard 301. The main power supply/charger board 301 includes the isolatedAC-DC converter 345 (or “power supply 345”) which provides two DC poweroutputs V1 and V2. The V1 output is a main DC power output and the V2output is provided to a battery charger 349 which includes relatedbattery charger circuitry. The V1 main DC power output is provided torelays and output sensing unit 347, and may be used to provide input toa voltage divider to provide an appropriate voltage level as a sensinginput to the control and access logic 405 over interface 415. A battery335 is operatively coupled to the charger 349 and to the relays andoutput sensing unit 347. The battery 335 is rechargeable and suppliespower in the event of an AC power outage. Additionally, in accordancewith the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, the battery voltage andcurrent can be monitored via the control and access logic 405.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, the data manager and interfacelogic 409 is operatively coupled to the Notification Appliance Circuit(NAC) power control board 315. The NAC power control board 315 obtainspower from the main power supply/charger board 301 and receives an FAIsignal 329 from a Fire Alarm Control Panel (FACP) (not shown) via aninterface 365. The output of the NAC power control board 315 drives andsynchronizes multiple horns and strobes 371 when an FAI signal 329 isreceived over the Fire Alarm Interface (FAI) 365.

In accordance with the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, a personalcomputer (PC) 325, or other suitable computing device, may be connectedto the main power supply/charger board 301 to configure the main powersupply/charger board 301 and to observe critical parameters of theisolated AC-DC converter 345 and charger 349. The PC 345 may beconnected to the control and access logic 405 via a serial link 327. Itis to be understood that the PC 325 is not connected to the powermanagement system 400 permanently, but is only connected duringinstallation or servicing.

The control and access logic 405, in accordance with the exemplaryembodiment shown in FIG. 4, is operative to perform various logiccontrol functions such as fault detection and protection, includingdetecting “input voltage out of range,” “output voltage out of range,”“output over-load/short circuit,” “battery not present,” “outputpositive” or “negative short to earth ground,” and “over-temperature.”The control and access logic 405, in accordance with the exemplaryembodiment, is also operative to control the DC2 output, of DC outputs333, based on FAI signal 329 status (for example, can be set to “failsafe” or “fail secure” mode). The control and access logic 405 is alsooperative to program the charger 349 output current, perform batterypower and AC power transfer, control the system fault relay 355 and ACfault relay 353, control LED indicators 351, and provide serialcommunication via serial link 411, via for example SPI, I²C or UART, tothe data manager and interface logic 409 and to the PC 325.

The data manager and interface logic 409, in the exemplary embodiment ofFIG. 4, provides, among other things, a network interface such as anEthernet interface and may be connected to the network 313 via a router367 coupled using, for example, an Ethernet cable for the interface 337.The data manager and interface logic 409 may also be connected to othersystem devices 317 for the purpose of data collection and control.

Critical power supply parameters are sensed by the control and accesslogic 405 and stored in the memory 407, which may be an on-chip EEPROMin some embodiments as was mentioned above. The critical parameters aresaved periodically (for example, hourly) and at the instance when anyfault condition is detected. Table 1 provides a list of the parametersthat may be stored in memory 407.

TABLE 1 Parameters stored in memory for user and service personnelaccess Variable Number Variable Variable Description of bytes typeAccess range comments Device ID 1 Unsigned User: Read 0-255 This isdevice integer only identification Svc: read only Model number 1Unsigned User: Read 0-255 Mapped to actual integer only model number ofSvc: read power supply. only Total Power-on 3 Unsigned User: Read0-16777215 This datum is Time in hours integer only useful during Svc:read customer return only servicing Total number 2 Unsigned User: Read0-65535 This datum is of AC FLT integer only useful during relayactivation Svc: customer return Read/Write servicing Total number 2Unsigned User: Read 0-65535 This datum is of SYS FLT integer only usefulduring relay activation Svc: customer return Read/Write servicing Totalbattery 3 Unsigned User: 0-16777215 User resettable connection timeintegers Read/Write when replacing in hours Svc: battery. Read/Write ACfault 3 Unsigned User: Second: 0-60 User reporting delay integersRead/Write Minute: 0-60 programmable in Hr:Min:Sec Svc: Hour: 0-255delay time (over- Read/Write writing the default value) System fault 3Unsigned User: Second: 0-60 User reporting delay integer Read/WriteMinute: 0-60 programmable in Hr:Min:Sec Svc: Hour: 0-255 delay time(over- Read/Write writing the default value). Charging 1 Unsigned User:0-4 User current scaler N integer Read/Write (minimum programmable(Default current Svc: charge charging current, divided by Read/Writecurrent is scaled to {circumflex over (1/2)}, {circumflex over (1/4)},2{circumflex over ( )}N) {circumflex over (1/16)} of the {circumflexover (1/8)} or {circumflex over (1/16)} of the full current)default/nominal current (over- writing the default value). Power supply4 hex User: Read 00000000-FFFFFFFF Updated every status word only period& when Svc: Read main output relay only is shut off due to fault.Battery voltage 2 Unsigned User: Read 0 to 1023 Battery voltage integersonly reading from 10- Svc: Read bit ADC only Charger current 2 UnsignedUser: Read 0 to 1023 Charger output integers only current reading Svc:Read from 10-bit ADC only Charger current 2 Unsigned User: Read 0 to1023 Battery current offset integers only offset value Svc: Read(charger current only ADC reading when charging current is 0). Fault pin2 Unsigned User: Read 0 to 1023 Fault pin voltage voltage integers onlyreading from 10- Svc: Read bit ADC only AC feedback 2 Unsigned User:Read 0 to 1023 AC feedback voltage integers only voltage reading Svc:Read from 10-bit ADC only Earth ground 2 Unsigned User: Read 0 to 1023Earth ground pin pin voltage integers only voltage reading Svc: Readfrom 10-bit ADC only DC output 2 Unsigned User: Read 0 to 1023 DCout_ADpin voltage reading integers only voltage reading Svc: Read from 10-bitADC only SMPS output 2 Unsigned User: Read 0 to 1023 Vout_AD pin voltageintegers only voltage reading Svc: Read from 10-bit ADC only

In accordance with the embodiments, information from the powermanagement system 400 and the main power supply/charger board 301 etc.may be conveyed and/or stored using a Power Supply Status Word (PSSW)that may consist of 4 bytes in some embodiments. For example, a PSSW mayconsist of two higher significant bytes and two lower significant bytes,where the two higher significant bytes are reserved for future use, andthe two lower significant bytes have a format and utilization asillustrated in Table 2 below:

TABLE 2 Lower significant 16 bits of the PSSW Bit # Bit Name Description0 EN VOUT DC output enable: Hi = Output relay selects SMPS Lo = Outputrelay selects Battery 1 EN BAT Battery SCR transition enable, positivelogic: Hi = enable SCR Lo = disable SCR 2 EN_CHARGER Enable charger,negative logic: Hi = Disable charger output Lo = Enable the chargeroutput 3 EN_GNDFLT_LED Enable ground fault reporting LED: Hi = GND faultLED turned on Lo = GND fault LED turned off 4 Vout_DETECT Output voltagesetting detection (12 or 24 V setting): Hi = 24 V Lo = 12 V 5BAT_Presence Battery presence detection signal Hi = detect and reportmissing battery or battery voltage too low Lo = do not detect/reportmissing battery 6 OVER_TEMP Over-temperature fault signal Hi =Over-temperature occurred Lo = No Over-temperature 7 FAL_LOVAC AC faultsignal to AC FLT relay and LED, reverse logic Hi = AC input voltage isnormal Lo = AC FLT occurred 8 FLT_SYSTEM System fault signal to SYS FLTrelay and LED, reverse logic Hi = AC System is normal Lo = SYS FLToccurred 9 FAI_OPTION User setting whether to latch FAI state oncetriggered Hi = latch FAI state (user jumper connected) Lo = do not latchFAI state 10 FAI_SIG FAI signal sensed by MCU Hi = FAI activated Lo = NoFAI signal 11 FAI_OUT Enable FAI LED (red) Hi = FAI LED turned on, FAIrelay energized. Lo = FAI LED turned off, FAI relay not energized. 12 XReserved for future use 13 X Reserved for future use 14 X Reserved forfuture use 15 X Reserved for future use

In addition to the above described information, the NAC power controlboard 315 also stores critical parameters that may be accessed using theCAI apparatus 403. The NAC power control board 315 includes NAC logicwhich may be, for example, a microcontroller and a memory, in accordancewith one embodiment. The parameters stored by the NAC power controlboard 315 are listed in Table 3 below.

TABLE 3 NAC power control board parameters Variable Name Value RangeNotes Device ID NAC1, NAC2, One model, multiple boards NAC3, . . . ,NAC9 Fault condition TRUE, FALSE TRUE = fault, FALSE = not fualt FAIactivation TRUE, FALSE TRUE = Alarm, FALSE = no alarm NAC operationSupervisory, Alarm Supervisory = in supervisory mode mode; Alarm = inalarm mode

In accordance with the embodiments, all the above illustrated parametersfrom the power management system 400, that is, all parameters from themain power supply/charger board 301 as well as from the NAC powercontrol board 315, can be accessed using either the local PC 325 viaserial data link interface 327 or remote device 319 via network 313which may include intranet/Internet 369.

Turning to FIG. 5, further details of the data manager and interfacelogic 409 are provided. As was discussed above, in the exemplaryembodiment illustrated in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the data manager andinterface logic 409 may provide an Ethernet interface for networkconnectivity in some embodiments. However, other suitable interfaces fornetwork connectivity may be provided in other embodiments. The datamanager and interface logic 409 may include a processor 501, which insome embodiments may be an ARM processor, and which may includeintegrated memory 503. The memory 503 may be a flash memory and may alsobe external from the processor 501 in some embodiments. The processor501 executes instructions and runs an operating system such as, forexample, Linux or Windows CE™. The processor 501 is operative to performthe tasks of network (such as, but not limited to, Ethernet)communication protocol, device data collection and parameter setting viaan interface such as, but not limited to, Serial Peripheral Interface(SPI) bus 507 connection, data presentation through web pages, emailalert arbitration and execution, and Simple Network Management Protocol(SNMP) network management software. The processor 501 is equipped with areal time clock which is maintained by a battery 505 in the event thatthe processor 501 loses power.

The data manager and interface logic 409 may also include an RJ45connector 513 to enable connection to the Internet or intranet 369 viarouter 367 over the interface 337 using, for example, an ANSI Category 5cable. The data manager and interface logic 409 may also include a USBport 515 to enable connection to, for example, a Wi-Fi adaptor 519 usinga USB cable 517. That is, in some embodiments, the data manager andinterface logic 409 may communicate with the Internet/intranet 369 via awireless link 523 between a USB connected Wi-Fi adaptor 519 and awireless router 521 as illustrated in FIG. 5.

The data manager and interface logic 409 includes an internal SPI bus507 such that the processor 501 is operatively coupled to an MCU 509 andalso to a plurality of external, digitally accessible devices 527 via aplurality of external SPI ports 529. The external, digitally accessibledevices 527 that are operatively coupled to the data manager andinterface logic 409 include the main power supply/charger board 301,which is operatively coupled via 411, as well as the NAC power controlboard 315 which is operatively coupled via 339 as is also illustrated inFIG. 4. The plurality of external, digitally accessible devices 527consist of two device types: the power supply boards (which may includeseveral different model numbers at different power ratings) and the NACpower control board 315. The devices 527 may be installed and physicallylocated inside a same cabinet housing the data manager and interfacelogic 409. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, only onepower supply board and one NAC power control board 315 are used. Themain power supply/charger board 301 of the embodiments is digitallyaccessible due to control and access logic 405 which collects andprovides access to critical parameters via the SPI interface 411 as wasdiscussed previously above.

The processor 501 is operative to read critical parameters of theplurality of devices 527 over the SPI bus 507 and provide the parametersto a remote device 319. The parameters may be sent to the remote device319 over a network, for example intranet/Internet 369. Some of thedevice operating parameters can also be set using the GUI 323 which isdisplayed on the remote device 319. In other words, the data manager andinterface logic 409 is operative to receive parameter settings, values,etc., from the GUI 323 of the remote device 319, and, in response,update corresponding device parameter settings, values, etc. Examples ofthe parameters that can be controlled via the remote device 319 include“Set battery charge current,” “Set report delay time for AC fault,” “Setreport delay time for System fault,” “Reset battery “hours of service”counter,” “Reset AC fault counter,” “Reset System fault counter,” “Turnon/off the AC-DC converter output (testing battery operation mode),” and“Forcing on/off the FAI_OUT state” (for DC2 output reset).

The MCU 509 also collects data that are not sensed by the plurality ofdigitally accessible devices 527, such as voltage, current and logicsignals from other system devices 317. The MCU 509 can measure any DCvoltage outputs via an on board analog-to-digital converter (ADC) andcan measure any current via Hall sensor inputs. The MCU 509 can alsosense external events such as, for example, an external device failurecondition. An external event example is to sense the tamper switch stateon the equipment housing cabinet door. If the cabinet door is tamperedwith, the tamper switch state will be sensed by the MCU 509 and an eventinput will be activated. In accordance with the embodiments, the eventinput may be pre-programmed as one of various email alert triggerconditions, and an email alert will be sent out to a system operator toreport the incident.

The measured data from other system devices 317 are sent from the MCU509 to the processor 501 via the internal SPI bus 507. The MCU 509interfaces 343 include Pulse Width Modulated (PWM) and opencollector/drain logic outputs that can be used to remotelyactivate/deactivate certain outputs. An example application of the logicoutput is to remotely reset the power to a surveillance camera when itgets hung up. The embodiments may also include a temperature sensor 511,which may be a temperature sensor integrated circuit (IC), that sensesthe housing cabinet internal temperature. The temperature data is readby the MCU 509 and sent to the processor 501 via the SPI bus 507. Allthe data collected by the processor 501 are time stamped and saved inmemory 503, which, as discussed above, may be a flash memory.

The data manager and interface logic 409 interfaces 343 enable the MCU509 to sense parameters including Event1, Event2 (isolated logicinputs); ADC1, ADC2, and ADC3 (0-30V range); and Hall current sensor 1,2 and 3 (current is converted to 0-5V signal). The data manager andinterface logic 409 interfaces 343 also include output control signalsPWM1, PWM2, Logic_OUT1 and Logic_OUT2 (open collector, or open drain).

In accordance with the embodiment exemplified in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, thedata manager and interface logic 409 may be implemented using twoprocessors, processor 501 and MCU 509. Further in accordance with theembodiment exemplified in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, processor 501 may executeinstructions related to various software and/or firmware modulesincluding a secured web server 535 with an Ethernet driver; an SNMPagent 533 and a device data handler 531.

The SNMP agent 533 exposes the parameters of all connected devices tothe SNMP manager at the remote location, for example, an SNMP manager onthe remote device 319. The parameters are organized in a hierarchicalmanner by Management Information Bases (MIBs) per established standardAbstract Syntax Notation One (ASN.1).

FIG. 6 provides a flowchart 600 of a high level operation of the DeviceData Handler module 531. As shown in FIG. 6 block 601, the Device DataHandler module 531 detects and identifies all the devices connected tothe data manager and interface logic 409. In 603, for each connecteddevice, the Device Data Handler module 531 checks the alert conditionssetup by, for example, a system administrator, and sets a flag in 607 ifthe conditions are met in 605. The Device Data Handler module 531generates a report in 613 according to the report configuration setup bythe administrator and checked in 609. The Device Data Handler module 531may then send an email of the report in 615 and then continue to monitoras in 603. If no report configuration is specified in 609, then in 611the Device Data Handler 531 will store the flagged condition andcontinue as in 603.

In some embodiments, the Device Data Handler module 531 may read devicedata every 2 seconds for real time data updates and save a record everyhour. For example, a total of 512 data instances, that is, data recordfiles, may be saved in 512 data files. The first file is always thelatest data at an approximately 2 second update period. The second fileis the nearest hourly record. The third file is the second nearesthourly record, and so on. These data record files can be viewed from thesecured web server 535 device parameter page and is discussed in furtherdetail below.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart 700 and provides further details of operation ofthe Device Data Handler module 531 executing on the processor 501. TheDevice Data Handler module 531 entry point is shown in 750. In 751, theprocessor 501 loads the memory management unit for Universal SerialInterface (USI) control. In 752, processor 501 initializes the I/O pinsand variable default values. The Device Data Handler module 531 enters await state “SLEEP 2” as shown in 753. In 754, the processor 501 is setto “MODE SPI,” that is, it sets USI to SPI operation and sets the SPI tobe compatible with Device mode. In 755, the Device Data Handler module531 scans and identifies all devices that are connected to the datamanager and interface logic 409, and updates the device table. In 756,the Device Data Handler module 531 reads the specified email alertconditions and email report settings.

In 757, the Device Data Handler module 531 reads the MCU 509 data, whichmay include, as was discussed above, data from other system devices 317.In 758, the Device Data Handler module 531 checks the MCU 509 dataagainst the specified email alert conditions. If an email alertcondition is met, or a condition is recovered, an email request flagwill be set by the Device Data Handler module 531. In 759, the DeviceData Handler module 531 reads the FP type device data, i.e., the dataobtained from the main power supply/charger board 301. As was describedin detail above, the main power supply/charger board 301 is digitallyaccessible because it includes, for example, the control and accesslogic 405, in accordance with the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 4.In 760, the Device Data Handler module 531 checks the FP device dataagainst specified email alert conditions. If alert condition is met, ora condition is recovered, an email request flag will be set by theDevice Data Handler module 531. In 761, the Device Data Handler module531 reads the NAC type device data, for example, the data obtained fromthe NAC power control board 315. In 762, the Device Data Handler module531 checks the NAC device data against the specified alert conditions.If an alert condition is met, or a condition is recovered, an emailrequest flag will be set by the Device Data Handler module 531.

In 763, the Device Data Handler module 531 writes the device status tothe configuration files for web display. In 764 the processor 501, underDevice Data Handler module 531 instruction, releases the SPI mode andswitches to default mode, and in 765 the Device Data Handler module 531writes the report file according to specified email report settings andsends email to an email recipient list (which, for example, may be setupby an administrator). In 766, the Device Data Handler module 531 savesthe current device data in text files for web page display. In 767, theDevice Data Handler module 531 manages the hourly update of data filesfor web page display. In 768, the processor 501, under Device DataHandler module 531 instruction, clears software variables to free upmemory and the Device Data Handler module 531 will then loop back to 753“SLEEP 2” as shown in FIG. 7.

Therefore, as described above the data manager and interface logic 409provides, among other advantages, the capability to collect and managepower management system 400 data from a variety of sources includingdigitally accessible and non-digitally accessible device types. Further,the data manager and interface logic 409 provides the advantage ofenabling remote access of parameters and/or settings over a network by aremote device such as remote device 319. System operators may therebyrealize reduced costs in that maintenance personnel need not alwaysvisit the location to perform certain tasks or obtain needed data.Another advantage provided by the data manager and interface logic 409is settable email alerts and report formats as will be described infurther detail below.

As discussed above, the embodiments provide a digitally accessible powersupply such as the main power supply/charger board 301, and this isachieved by including the control and access logic 405. FIG. 8 providesa flowchart 800 illustrating operation of the control and access logic405 in accordance with the embodiments. In 801, the control and accesslogic 405 performs initialization which includes setting the initialstates of all the peripherals and initial values of all variables. In802, the control and access logic 405 detects the voltage settingswitch, which is an on-board switch, and may determine whether a givenvoltage is selected, for example, 12V or 24V. The control and accesslogic 405 is operative to read the switch setting and load the properparameter set according to the selected voltage. In 803, the control andaccess logic 405 checks various fault conditions, including, forexample, “over-temperature,” “AC input voltage too low,” and “SwitchMode Power Supply (SMPS) output voltage out of range.” In 804, thecontrol and access logic 405 performs system logic control such as, forexample, switching to battery power, switching LEDs on or off, switchingrelays on or off, etc. In 805, the control and access logic 405 performscharger 349 control and fault detection. The charger 349 current isprogrammable using either the PC 325 or by the remote device 319 overthe network 313. The charger 349 may have a default value set as thehighest available charge current. The data communication between thecharger 349 and the control and access logic 405 is over an interface413 which may be, for example, a digital-to-analog converter, a filteredPWM signal, an analog-to-digital converter, GPIO pin, SPI or any othersuitable interface. The control and access logic 405 is operative toread a programmed charge current command from the memory 407.

In 806, the control and access logic 405 performs SMPS output faultdetection and may detect faults such as, for example, “voltage out ofupper limit,” “voltage out of lower limit,” or a short circuitcondition. In 807, the control and access logic 405 performs earthground fault detection. That is, if the output positive or negativeterminal is shorted to earth ground, a fault condition will be detectedby the control and access logic 405.

As shown in 808, another SMPS fault detection occurs. The SMPS faultdetection function is executed several times in a control cycle in orderto increase the sampling rate so the system can respond to a severefault (such as a short circuit) quickly before any component damageoccurs. As shown in 809, the control and access logic 405 may implementcharger 349 mode control. The charger 349 may operate in two modes; anormal charge mode when the battery capacity is below 90%, and a tricklecharge mode when the battery is charged to above 90% capacity. Intrickle charge mode, the battery 335 voltage is monitored to make surethat it will not exceed manufacturer specified maximum voltage which mayresult in damage. A third SMPS fault detection operation occurs as shownin 810 for the reasons discussed above.

In 811, the control and access logic 405 performs fault handling. Forfault reporting purpose, all faults are divided into two groups; ACfault and all the other faults which are grouped as System faults. Thefault handler operation of the control and access logic 405 keeps trackof the length of time for each fault and compares the fault time withthe fault report delay time which is programmable. Once the fault timehas reached the report delay time, a fault status will be asserted bythe control and access logic 405. That is, among other things,corresponding local fault reporting means will be activated. The localfault reporting may include turning on certain on-board LEDs,de-energizing the corresponding fault relay and setting a correspondingfault bit so that the local PC 325 or remote device 319 can read thedata and fault report. The number of AC faults and the number of Systemfaults are recorded and saved in memory 407.

In 812, the control and access logic 405 performs an FAI 329 detectionoperation. If a voltage is received from the on-board FAI inputterminals, that is, over the FAI interface 331, the control and accesslogic 405 will execute the FAI response. The FAI response may include,among other things, setting an FAI bit so that PC 325 or remote device319 can read and report the FAI condition, lighting up a red LED of theLEDs 351 located on the main power supply/charger board 301, turning theDC2 output on (if DC2 is set to “fail secure”), or off (if DC2 is set to“fail safe”). A user can set the DC 2 to “fail secure” or “fail safe”mode by selecting an on-board jumper located on the main powersupply/charger board 301. Alternatively, this feature may be programmedvia the remote device 319 or via the PC 325.

As shown in 813, the control and access logic 405 saves the system statein memory 407. A timer, such as for example, an on-chip timer inembodiments where the control and access logic 405 is implemented usinga microcontroller, keeps track of time elapsed since power up and sincethe battery 335 is connected. The power up time and battery 335connection time are cumulated and saved in memory 407. The battery 335connection time can be reset by a user via the remote device 319 or viathe PC 325. Among other advantages, this feature is useful when aservice technician replaces the battery 335. The power up time is notresettable (like an odometer). An exemplary list of variables stored inmemory 407 is provided in Table 1 and Table 2 which were discussedabove. A fourth SMPS fault detection operation is performed by thecontrol and access logic 405 as shown in 814.

The control and access logic 405 is also operative to perform outputrelay control as shown in 815. Output relay control entails turning theoutput relay, of relays and output sensing 347, on or off based oncontrol logic and fault conditions. For example, at power up, thecontrol and access logic 405 will check whether output short circuit orother faults exist. If there is no fault, the control and access logic405 will turn on the output relay. When AC power is lost, control andaccess logic 405 will enable the battery 335 and turn the output relayto the battery side so that the battery 335 will supply the load. Whenthe AC power is recovered, the output relay, of relays and outputsensing 347, will be turned back to the power supply (isolated AC-DCconverter 345) side again and transfer the load to the power supplyoutput.

In 816, the control and access logic 405 updates the memory 407parameters. In 817, the control and access logic 405 processes the SPIoperation and performs a memory 407 read or write operation if commandedby the remote device 319 or by the PC 325. For example, a user, via theremote device 319 or via the PC 325, may send a request to read theparameters of the main power supply/charger board 301. In response, thecontrol and access logic 405 will read the requested parameters frommemory 407 and send them out via the SPI interface 411. In anotherexample, a user, via the remote device 319 or via the PC 325, may sendrequest to change some parameters, e.g. charge current. In response, thecontrol and access logic 405 will write the new charge current commandto the memory 407. The control and access logic 405 will loop back tooperation 803 as shown in FIG. 8.

Therefore, among other advantages, the main power supply/charger board301, in accordance with the embodiments herein disclosed, is a digitallyaccessible device. The main power supply/charger board 301 is digitallyaccessible because it includes control and access logic 405 inaccordance with the embodiments.

The various embodiments disclosed herein also include a graphical userinterface, GUI 323, which may be accessed and displayed on a remotedevice, such as remote device 319, in order to access the variousfeatures of the embodiments described above. The various features andcapabilities of the GUI 323 will now be described in detail.

FIG. 9 illustrates the top level contents of the secured web server 535,and an initial screen 900 of the GUI 323. The initial screen or “page”900 provides a plurality of selectable buttons 902 through 910 as shown.Various selectable buttons and/or other selectable features of the GUI323 may be selected in various ways in accordance with the embodiments,such as, but not limited to, mouse cursor point-and-click, touch screen,scrolling a cursor to the selectable item and hitting an “enter” key,using hot keys corresponding to the selectable feature, voice commands,etc., or any other suitable way of selecting a selectable feature usinga remote device such as, for example, remote device 319. Button 902“configuration” is used to setup, and edit system operating parameters.The remaining buttons 904 through 910 navigate to parameter pages forthe various devices indicated on the button. For example, the initialscreen 900 provides buttons for 2 FP devices, 4 NAC devices and an MCU.Any combination of device type/model may be connected in accordance withthe embodiments. For example in one embodiment, a total of six devicesmay be connected.

In the exemplary embodiment of the GUI 323 that is provided by way ofFIG. 9 through FIG. 20, the “FP1” button 904 navigates to the parameterspage for “FP1,” which may be, for example, the main power supply/chargerboard 301. Selecting the FP1 button 904 causes the GUI 323 to displaythe FP1 parameter page which provides access to the device data andallows programming of the parameters of the FP1 device.

The other buttons of the screen 900 navigate similarly. For example, theFP2 button 905 navigates to the parameter page for the FP2 device whichmay be, for example, another power supply board that is installed in thepower management system. Buttons 906, 907, 908 and 909 navigate to theircorresponding one of four NAC power control boards connected to thesystem. Button 910 navigates to the parameter page for the MCU 509 ofthe data manager and interface logic 409.

Selection of button 902 “configuration” navigates to the configurationpage 1000 which is illustrated in FIG. 10. The configuration page 1000provides another set of selectable buttons such as TCP/IP setting button1001. Selection of TCP/IP setting button 1001 navigates to a TCP/IPsettings page which allows entry of an IP address, subnet mask, gatewayaddress, etc., so the power management system can be accessed by, forexample, remote device 319 over intranet/Internet 369. This parametermay be set by a system administrator.

Button 1002 navigates to a user account setting page. The systemadministrator may use the user account setting page to setup useraccounts for remote users having “read only” operation access. Only asystem administrator can perform write operations in accordance with theexemplary embodiment. Button 1003 navigates to a date/time setting pagethat allows the system administrator to set the system date and time.The system administrator may select SNMP setting button 1004 to accessan SNMP setting page to setup SNMP parameters, such as SNMP useraccount, password and trap address, etc.

Selecting the email setting button 1005 navigates to an email settingpage 1100 shown in FIG. 11 where the system administrator can setupemail alert trigger conditions 1101, email sender parameters 1102including server name, email address and password, and recipients' emailaddresses 1103. If any of the email alert trigger conditions are met,emails with a parameter report as an attachment will be sent to thespecified email recipients. When the trigger condition is removed (suchas when a fault is cleared), the system will also sent out email tonotify the change of status.

The report setting button 1006 navigates to a report setting page 1200which will be described with respect to FIG. 12. The report setting page1200 allows the administrator to select the contents to be included inthe parameter report attached to the email. MCU setting button 1007navigates to an MCU settings page where the system administrator canassign installation specific names to the signals sensed by the MCU 509.The PWM setting button 1008 navigates to a page where the systemadministrator may setup the parameters of the two PWM channels on thedata manager and interface logic 409. Battery setting button 1009navigates to a page where the system administrator can setup batterydiagnostic parameters. Logic output setting button 1010 navigates to apage that allows the system administrator to set the logic outputs onthe data manager and interface logic 409 to a high or low level.

FIG. 11 provides an example of the email setting page 1100 which isaccessed by selecting the email setting button 1005 on page 1000 shownin FIG. 10. A list of alert conditions 1101 is displayed which allowsthe system administrator to select, for example by checking orun-checking a checkbox next to each alert condition. For example, if thecheckbox for 1104 “When FAI is activated” is checked, an email alertwill be sent out if the control and access logic 405 received a FireAlarm Interface (FAI) signal 329 from the Fire Alarm Control Panel(FACP) over the interface 331. Similarly, if the checkbox for “When SYSFault is activated” 1107 is checked, an email alert will be sent outwhen a System Fault occurs. If the checkbox for “When AC Fault isactivated” 1106 is checked, an alert email will be sent out when an ACFault is detected. The two input signals from external events connectedto the power management system may be selected for alerts by checkingthe checkboxes for 1107 and 1108. If the 1107 or 1108 checkboxes arechecked, then an alert email will be sent out when the related event isactivated.

The “When battery is low” 1109 alert condition is obtained by the DeviceData Handler module 531 of the data manager and interface logic 409. TheDevice Data Handler module 531 uses battery capacity, battery voltageand battery current-time integration to derive the “battery low”condition. For example, in one embodiment, if 1109 is selected, an emailalert will be sent out when the battery 335 is discharged down to 20%capacity. Likewise in accordance with the embodiments the “Battery endof life” 1110 alert condition is derived by the Device Data Handlermodule 531 based on the user entered “battery life (years)” and recordedbattery “hours of operation.” If the “Battery end of life” 1110condition is checked, an alert email will be sent out when the batteryreaches the specified life entered in the battery setting page.

If the “Voltage out of limit” 1111 alert condition is selected, an alertemail will be sent out when any one of the three ADC channel (ofinterfaces 343) readings exceeds a programmed upper or lower limit. Ifthe “Current out of limit” 1112 alert condition is checked, an alertemail will be sent out when any one of the three Hall current sensor (ofinterfaces 343) readings exceeds programmed upper or lower limit. If the“3-month maintenance due” 1113 alert condition is checked, an alertemail will be sent out when 3 months has elapsed since last maintenancewarning. If the “6-month maintenance due” alert condition is checked, analert email will be sent out when 6 months has elapsed since last6-month maintenance. If the “Yearly maintenance due” alert condition isselected, an alert email will be sent out when one year has elapsedsince last yearly maintenance.

Various other email alert trigger conditions may be set in accordancewith the embodiments. For example, the interfaces 343 shown in FIG. 5may be used to designate various email alert trigger conditions. Forexample, any voltage sensed by the ADC inputs of interfaces 343, or acurrent sensed by Hall-effect sensors of interfaces 343 may be utilized.Maintenance reminder emails may also be programmed to go out atdifferent length of intervals (in accordance to relevant safetyregulations for the specific application). Additionally, periodic emailwith report attachment may also be sent during normal operatingcondition, in accordance with the embodiments. The period of the regularemail report may be programmed by the system administrator.

As mentioned briefly above, selecting the report setting button 1006 onpage 1000 as shown in FIG. 10 navigates to a report setting page. Thereport setting page 1200 is shown in FIG. 12. The report setting page1200 allows the system administrator to select the parameters for eachdevice (and the MCU 509 parameters) to be included in the report file.Table 4 provides an example list of the devices for which a parameterreport can be configured in accordance with the embodiments.

TABLE 4 Configurable Device Reports Provided By The “Report setting”Page Device name Device Description Notes FP1 Power supply board (#1)FP2 Power supply board (#2) NAC1 NAC power control board (#1) NAC2 NACpower control board (#2) NAC3 NAC power control board (#3) NAC4 NACpower control board (#4) MCU Data Manager and For variables sensedInterface Logic MCU by the MCU.

In addition to the capability of selecting a device on report settingpage 1200, the specific parameters of the device to be sent in thereport email are also configurable in accordance with the embodiments.For example, on the report setting page 1200, a device may be selected,for example FP1 1201. Selecting the FP1 1201 button navigates to an FP1parameter setting page 1300 shown in FIG. 13. The report setting pagefor device FP1 1300 displays information such as the device ID 1301 anda list of device FP1 parameters 1302. A selectable checkbox may beprovided for each parameter as shown in FIG. 13. That is, to include aparameter into the report, the system administrator can check thecorresponding checkbox for the desired parameter. Otherwise, the systemadministration can uncheck the checkbox to omit the parameter from thereport. Checkbox 1303 toggles between checking all parameters in thelist 1302 and un-checking all parameters in the list 1302.

FIG. 14 illustrates an example of an MCU parameter report setting page1400. The MCU report setting page 1400 is arrived at by selecting theMCU button 1207 in the report setting page 1200 shown in FIG. 12. TheMCU report setting page 1400 provides a site ID 1401 that is entered bythe system administrator to identify the site where the power managementsystem is installed. A list of the MCU parameters 1402 is provided witha checkbox for each parameter. Similar to the report setting pagepreviously discussed, a parameter may be included into, or omitted from,the report by checking, or un-checking, the desired parameter'scorresponding checkbox, respectively. A “check all/un-check all” togglecheckbox 1403 is also provided.

FIG. 15 provides an example parameter report setting page 1500 fordevice NAC1. The device ID 1501 is shown along with a list of NAC1parameters 1502. Operation of the report setting page 1500 is similar tothose already described, that is, there is a checkbox for eachparameter. To include a parameter into the report, the systemadministrator can check the check box next to the desired parameter.Otherwise, the system administrator can uncheck the check box. A “checkall/un-check all” toggle checkbox 1503 is also provided.

FIG. 16 provides an example of an MCU setting page 1600 which isnavigated to by selecting the MCU setting button 1007 in theconfiguration menu of configuration page 1000. The MCU setting page 1600provides a list of MCU variables 1621 handled by the MCU and an assignedname column 1622 that allows entry of an assigned name for eachvariable. The assigned names may be entered when the power managementsystem is installed in a job site. The system administrator can enter asite ID to identify the installation location. Exemplary variable namesare shown in the assigned name column 1622 and the names provideexamples of events or devices that may be monitored.

FIG. 17 provides an example of a “PWM setting” page 1700 and a “Logicoutput setting” page 1701. The PWM setting page 1700 is navigated to byselecting the PWM setting button 1008 on configuration page 1000, whilethe Logic output setting page 1701 is navigated to by selecting thelogic output setting button 1010 on the configuration page 1000. The PWNsetting page 1700 displays a PWM output channel number column 1751 and afrequency column 1752 that allows the system administrator to set thefrequency through a pull-down list. For example, the pull-down list mayprovide multiple frequency choices ranging from 120 Hz to 20 kHz (basedon an MCU internal PWM specification). A duty cycle column 1753 allowsthe system administrator to set the duty cycle. For example, a dutycycle range from 0 to 100% may be set where 0% sets the output toconstant low level and 100% sets the output to constant high level.

The Logic output setting page 1701 displays a logic output channelcolumn 1754 which shows the logic output channels. A set value column1755 shows the logic output value, and the system administrator canselect a “high” or “low” level through a pull-down menu as shown in FIG.17.

FIG. 18 provides an example of a Battery setting page 1800 which isnavigated to by selecting the battery setting button 1009 on theconfiguration page 1000. The battery setting page 1800 provides a column1871 that allows the system administrator to select whether to activatea warning signal identified in a warning type column 1872. Column 1873shows the battery parameters used to derive the warning signals. Column1874 allows the system administrator to enter the battery parameters andcolumn 1875 indicates the unit of the corresponding parameter value.

FIG. 19 provides an example of an FP1 real time parameters page 1900.The FP1 real time parameters page 1900 is navigated to by selecting theFP1 button 904 on the initial page 900 shown in FIG. 9. A header block1901 is displayed that provides the device ID, model number and firmwarerevision information. Also displayed on page 1900 is a parameter namecolumn 1902, a current value column 1903, and a units column 1904. Aprogramming button 1905 navigates to a programming page 2000 illustratedin FIG. 20.

The FP1 parameter programming page 2000 includes a header block 2001,and a column of programmable parameters 2002. The system administratorcan enter values of the programmable parameters in value column 2003. Aunits column 2004 shows the units for the parameters. Selection of the“Apply” button 2005 causes the programmed parameters to be written intoa microcontroller on the FP1 device. If the FP1 device is the main powersupply/charger board 301 of the embodiments, the parameters will bewritten to the control and access logic 405.

It is to be understood that the GUI 323 pages described above andillustrated in FIG. 9 through FIG. 20 are exemplary only and that othervarious configurations, that is, various layouts of the pages ispossible and such varying configurations and/or layouts would remainwithin the scope of, and in accordance with, the embodiments hereindisclosed.

The present disclosure further provides a computer readable memory, thatincludes executable instructions for execution by at least oneprocessor, that when executed cause the at least one processor toperform the various operations described above with respect to thecontrol and access logic 405. The present disclosure further provides acomputer readable memory, that includes executable instructions forexecution by at least one processor, that when executed cause the atleast one processor to perform the various operations described abovewith respect to the data manager and interface logic. The computerreadable memory executable instructions, when executed may further causethe one or more processors to send the various pages related to GUI 323to a remote device.

A computer readable memory may store the various software/firmwaredescribed above and may be any suitable non-volatile memory such as, butnot limited to programmable chips such as EEPROMS, flash ROM (thumbdrives), compact discs (CDs) digital video disks (DVDs), etc., that maybe used to load executable instructions or program code to devices suchas, but not limited to, those described in further detail herein.

While various embodiments have been illustrated and described, it is tobe understood that the invention is not so limited. Numerousmodifications, changes, variations, substitutions and equivalents willoccur to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope ofthe present invention as defined by the appended claims.

1. An apparatus comprising: data manager and interface logic, comprisinga plurality of interface ports including at least one network interfaceport, operative to: obtain digital and analog data, via said pluralityof interface ports, from a plurality of digital and analog device types,wherein said data includes device operating parameters and alertcondition notifications related to device faults or potential devicefailure; write and email a report conforming to a plurality ofconfigurable report settings in response to occurrence of a device alertcondition or a specified reporting interval; obtain updates to saiddevice operating parameters from a remote device over said at least onenetwork interface port; and provide said updates to correspondingdevices over said plurality of interface ports.
 2. The apparatus ofclaim 1, comprising: at least one power supply operatively coupled tocontrol and access logic, said control and access logic operativelycoupled to said data manager and interface logic, wherein said controland access logic is operative to: monitor said power supply for faultconditions; send control commands to local fault reporting devices inresponse to detection of a fault condition; and enable said data managerand interface logic access to fault report data corresponding to saidfault condition.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2, comprising: a batterycharger operatively coupled to said power supply and to said control andaccess logic, wherein said control and access logic is further operativeto: monitor said battery charger for fault conditions; obtain batterycharger programming commands from said data manager and interface logic,and update battery charger data in response to said programmingcommands; and control switching to battery power in response to a faultcondition of said power supply, or a loss of AC power to said powersupply.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said data manager andinterface logic is further operative to: provide a navigable graphicaluser interface accessible by a remote device and operable to receiveinputs and provide said inputs to said data manager and interface logicover said network interface port.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, whereinsaid data manager and interface logic is further operative to: detectand identify each device of the plurality of digital and analog devicetypes; determine an alert condition for each device; and write and emailsaid report individually for each device in response to occurrence of adevice alert condition for a corresponding individual device.
 6. Amethod of operating a power management system, comprising: obtainingdigital and analog data, via a plurality of interface ports, from aplurality of digital and analog device types, wherein said data includesdevice operating parameters and alert condition notifications related todevice faults or potential device failure; writing and emailing a reportconforming to a plurality of configurable report settings in response tooccurrence of a device alert condition or a specified reportinginterval; obtaining updates to said device operating parameters from aremote device over at least one network interface port; and providingsaid updates to corresponding devices over said plurality of interfaceports.
 7. The method of claim 6, further comprising: monitoring a powersupply for fault conditions; sending control commands to local faultreporting devices in response to detection of a fault condition; andenabling access, by data manager and interface logic, to fault reportdata corresponding to said fault condition.
 8. The method of claim 7,further comprising monitoring a battery charger for fault conditions;obtaining battery charger programming commands from said data managerand interface logic, and updating battery charger data in response tosaid programming commands; and controlling switching to battery power inresponse to a fault condition of said power supply, or a loss of ACpower to said power supply.
 9. The method of claim 6, furthercomprising: providing a navigable graphical user interface accessible bya remote device and operable to receive inputs and provide said inputsto data manager and interface logic over said network interface port.10. The method of claim 6, further comprising: detecting and identifyingeach device of the plurality of digital and analog device types;determining an alert condition for each device; and writing and emailingsaid report individually for each device in response to occurrence of adevice alert condition for a corresponding individual device.
 11. Anapparatus comprising: a power supply and battery charger boardcomprising control and access logic operatively coupled to said powersupply and said battery charger, wherein said control and access logicis operative to: monitor said power supply and said battery charger forfault conditions; send control commands to local fault reporting devicesin response to detection of a fault condition; enable remote access tofault report data corresponding to said fault condition; obtain batterycharger programming commands from a remote device via an interface, andupdate battery charger data in response to said programming commands;and control switching to battery power in response to a fault conditionof said power supply, or a loss of AC power to said power supply. 12.The apparatus of claim 11, comprising: data manager and interface logic,operatively coupled to said control and access logic, said data managerand interface logic comprising a plurality of interface ports includingat least one network interface port, said data manager and interfacelogic being operative to: obtain digital and analog data, via saidplurality of interface ports, from a plurality of digital and analogdevice types, wherein said data includes device operating parameters andalert condition notifications related to device faults or potentialdevice failure; write and email a report conforming to a plurality ofconfigurable report settings in response to occurrence of a device alertcondition or a specified reporting interval; obtain updates to saiddevice operating parameters from a remote device over at least onenetwork interface port; and provide said updates to correspondingdevices, including said power supply and battery charger board, oversaid plurality of interface ports.
 13. A computer readable memorycomprising: executable instructions for execution by at least oneprocessor, that when executed cause said at least one processor to:obtain digital and analog data, via a plurality of interface ports, froma plurality of digital and analog device types, wherein said dataincludes device operating parameters and alert condition notificationsrelated to device faults or potential device failure; write and email areport conforming to a plurality of configurable report settings inresponse to occurrence of a device alert condition or a specifiedreporting interval; obtain updates to said device operating parametersfrom a remote device over at least one network interface port; andprovide said updates to corresponding devices over said plurality ofinterface ports.
 14. The computer readable memory of claim 13, whereinsaid executable instructions, when executed further cause the at leastone processor to: monitor a power supply for fault conditions; sendcontrol commands to local fault reporting devices in response todetection of a fault condition; and enable access, by an operativelycoupled external processor, to fault report data corresponding to saidfault condition.
 15. The computer readable memory of claim 14, whereinsaid executable instructions, when executed further cause the at leastone processor to: monitor a battery charger for fault conditions; obtainbattery charger programming commands from said external processor, andupdate battery charger data in response to said programming commands;and control switching to battery power in response to a fault conditionof said power supply, or a loss of AC power to said power supply. 16.The computer readable memory of claim 13, wherein said executableinstructions, when executed further cause the at least one processor to:provide a navigable graphical user interface accessible by a remotedevice and operable to receive inputs and provide said inputs to said atleast one processor over said network interface port.
 17. The computerreadable memory of claim 13, wherein said executable instructions, whenexecuted further cause the at least one processor to: detect andidentify each device of the plurality of digital and analog devicetypes; determine an alert condition for each device; and write and emailsaid report individually for each device in response to occurrence of adevice alert condition for a corresponding individual device.
 18. Anapparatus comprising: at least one processor; and memory operativelycoupled to said processor, wherein said memory contains instructions forexecution by said at least one processor, wherein said at least oneprocessor upon executing said instructions is operable to: provide apower management system configuration graphical user interface (GUI) fordisplay on a remote device in communication with said at least oneprocessor over a network, wherein said GUI includes: a navigable initialpage having a plurality of selections; a plurality of input pages,navigable to by selecting corresponding selections of said plurality ofselections of said navigable initial page, said input pages includinginputs for configuring alert conditions triggering email outputnotifications, sender email account settings, recipient email addresssettings, email report content settings, and device parameter settingsfor a plurality of power management system devices including a powersupply, a battery charger,
 19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein theinput pages of said GUI further include: an email report content settingpage corresponding to each power management system device of saidplurality of power management system devices, wherein said email reportcontent setting page includes a list of selectable parameters that areselectable for inclusion in an email report.
 20. The apparatus of claim19, wherein the input page for said battery charger of said GUIincludes: a list of settable values, settable by entries into the inputpage.